Russia VS Ukraine, who will be victorious? Ukraine is a Texas-sized country wedged between Russia and Europe. It was part of the Soviet Union until 1991. Since then it has been a less than perfect democracy with a very weak economy and foreign policy that wavers between pro Russian and pro European. A lot of this comes down to Ukraine's centuries long history of Russian domination. The country has been divided more or less evenly between Ukrainians who see Ukraine as part of Europe and those who see it as it being part of Russia. An internal political crisis over that disagreement may have been inevitable. Meanwhile in Russia Putin is pushing an imperial revival nationalist worldview that sees Ukraine as part of greater Russia and as the victim of ever encroaching Western hostility.
This all began in November 2013 when President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a deal for greater integration with the European Union sparking big protests which Viktor Yanukovych attempted to put down violently. Russia backed Yanukovych in the crisis while the US and Europe supported the protesters.
In February, anti government protests toppled the government and they ran Yanukovych out of the country. Russia trying to salvage its lost influence in Ukraine decided to invade Crimea the next month. The rebels shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 on July 17 which killed 298 people, probably accidentally. Fighting between the rebels and the Ukrainian military intensified the rebels started losing and in August the Russian army invaded eastern Ukraine to support the rebels. This has all brought the relationship between Russia and the West to its lowest point since the Cold War. Sanctions are pushing the Russian economy to the brink of recession. More than 2,500 Ukrainians have died. It is unlikely that Ukraine will get Crimea back.
What is Russia’s point of view?
President Vladimir Putin insists that Russia is not invading Ukraine but Russian soldiers, tanks and self propelled artillery have been crossing the border since mid August as a hostile invasion. There are two theories to why Putin is invading .
THEORY 1: Putin is trying to overturn to the rebels' losses because he wants something from Ukraine. The Russian invasion looks like it is meant to bolster the Pro Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, who began losing ground in early August when the Ukrainian military began a renewed offensive against them. In this thinking, Russian troops are there to keep the rebels from being entirely overrun. Putin has been backing the rebels for months and fomenting violence in Ukraine. He's doing this either because he wants to maintain a perpetual separatist crisis so that he has leverage over the Ukrainian government to keep it from crossing him, or because he wanted to give himself an excuse to invade on the premise of saving eastern Ukrainians, then annex that territory as he did in Crimea.
THEORY 2: Putin was sucked into an irrational invasion he didn't want by his own rhetoric and propaganda. Since taking power in 2000, Putin governed through an implicit deal with the Russian people he delivered high economic growth, and Russians accepted curbs to political and individual rights. After the economy slowed and some Russians protested his shame re election in 2012, Putin shifted strategies focusing on stirring up old school anti Western paranoia and imperial style Russian nationalism. When Putin invaded and annexed Crimea in March, his slouching approval rating skyrocketed. Putin addicted has played up the nationalist cause in eastern Ukraine, the heroism of the rebels his own heroism in backing them and the threat of Ukraine's fascist government. Were he to sit idly by while the rebels were defeated, it would show that his rhetoric was a lie and leave him without the nationalist cause on which he now bases his political legitimacy. With no other way out he invaded Ukraine.
What is Ukraine’s point of view.
Ukraine's Point of view is that Russia started taking over their land like Crimea . Russian soldiers, tanks and self propelled artillery continued to cross their border to invade. Some Ukrainians decided that they wanted to join Russia again and became ‘’The Rebels.” Now there are fires raging in Ukraine and police have been using tear gas and fake bullets to try to stop the rebels from causing anymore damage , it wasn't stopping them though and police had to resort to real bullets that put them unconscious for a few hours. It’s out of control.
Should Obama give weapons to Ukraine and not Russia?
Congress has an opportunity to push the United States in a more effective direction with regard to Ukraine. Republican and Democratic law makers should approve legislation put forward in the senate that would give Ukraine $350 million in military aid. They need the aid to help fight Russia from taking more of their land. Russian President Vladimir Putin dreams of bringing back the Soviet empire. He wants to go back to the era when Russia ruled over Eastern Europe including Ukraine. Putin won’t be stopped from seizing more of Ukraine and plotting his next moves by the weak actions of the US and Western Europe. Putin is threatening the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Putin is threatening world peace.
So the question is, should Obama give Ukraine weapons. “ Yes, Russia already has the power to take over Ukraine so I think that Obama should be giving Ukraine weapons they need to fight back and take back their territory.” So far Obama has just given non military aid. As Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko told Congress recently with regard to U.S. non-military aid, Blankets and night-vision goggles are important, but one cannot win a war with blankets
If Putin stays in control he could take over Ukraine and maybe even other countries. If this happens it wouldn't be good. We have to stop them now, before it gets worse. Putin isn't crazy he is just power thirsty, and when your power thirsty you can make bad decisions. If Putin stays what will happen? Could this be the next World War?
By Alyssa R
10/23/2014
Russia VS Ukraine, who will be victorious? Ukraine is a Texas-sized country wedged between Russia and Europe. It was part of the Soviet Union until 1991. Since then it has been a less than perfect democracy with a very weak economy and foreign policy that wavers between pro Russian and pro European. A lot of this comes down to Ukraine's centuries long history of Russian domination. The country has been divided more or less evenly between Ukrainians who see Ukraine as part of Europe and those who see it as it being part of Russia. An internal political crisis over that disagreement may have been inevitable. Meanwhile in Russia Putin is pushing an imperial revival nationalist worldview that sees Ukraine as part of greater Russia and as the victim of ever encroaching Western hostility.
This all began in November 2013 when President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a deal for greater integration with the European Union sparking big protests which Viktor Yanukovych attempted to put down violently. Russia backed Yanukovych in the crisis while the US and Europe supported the protesters.
In February, anti government protests toppled the government and they ran Yanukovych out of the country. Russia trying to salvage its lost influence in Ukraine decided to invade Crimea the next month. The rebels shot down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 on July 17 which killed 298 people, probably accidentally. Fighting between the rebels and the Ukrainian military intensified the rebels started losing and in August the Russian army invaded eastern Ukraine to support the rebels. This has all brought the relationship between Russia and the West to its lowest point since the Cold War. Sanctions are pushing the Russian economy to the brink of recession. More than 2,500 Ukrainians have died. It is unlikely that Ukraine will get Crimea back.
What is Russia’s point of view?
President Vladimir Putin insists that Russia is not invading Ukraine but Russian soldiers, tanks and self propelled artillery have been crossing the border since mid August as a hostile invasion. There are two theories to why Putin is invading .THEORY 1: Putin is trying to overturn to the rebels' losses because he wants something from Ukraine. The Russian invasion looks like it is meant to bolster the Pro Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, who began losing ground in early August when the Ukrainian military began a renewed offensive against them. In this thinking, Russian troops are there to keep the rebels from being entirely overrun. Putin has been backing the rebels for months and fomenting violence in Ukraine. He's doing this either because he wants to maintain a perpetual separatist crisis so that he has leverage over the Ukrainian government to keep it from crossing him, or because he wanted to give himself an excuse to invade on the premise of saving eastern Ukrainians, then annex that territory as he did in Crimea.
THEORY 2: Putin was sucked into an irrational invasion he didn't want by his own rhetoric and propaganda. Since taking power in 2000, Putin governed through an implicit deal with the Russian people he delivered high economic growth, and Russians accepted curbs to political and individual rights. After the economy slowed and some Russians protested his shame re election in 2012, Putin shifted strategies focusing on stirring up old school anti Western paranoia and imperial style Russian nationalism. When Putin invaded and annexed Crimea in March, his slouching approval rating skyrocketed. Putin addicted has played up the nationalist cause in eastern Ukraine, the heroism of the rebels his own heroism in backing them and the threat of Ukraine's fascist government. Were he to sit idly by while the rebels were defeated, it would show that his rhetoric was a lie and leave him without the nationalist cause on which he now bases his political legitimacy. With no other way out he invaded Ukraine.
What is Ukraine’s point of view.
Ukraine's Point of view is that Russia started taking over their land like Crimea . Russian soldiers, tanks and self propelled artillery continued to cross their border to invade. Some Ukrainians decided that they wanted to join Russia again and became ‘’The Rebels.” Now there are fires raging in Ukraine and police have been using tear gas and fake bullets to try to stop the rebels from causing anymore damage , it wasn't stopping them though and police had to resort to real bullets that put them unconscious for a few hours. It’s out of control.
Should Obama give weapons to Ukraine and not Russia?
Congress has an opportunity to push the United States in a more effective direction with regard to Ukraine. Republican and Democratic law makers should approve legislation put forward in the senate that would give Ukraine $350 million in military aid. They need the aid to help fight Russia from taking more of their land.Russian President Vladimir Putin dreams of bringing back the Soviet empire. He wants to go back to the era when Russia ruled over Eastern Europe including Ukraine. Putin won’t be stopped from seizing more of Ukraine and plotting his next moves by the weak actions of the US and Western Europe. Putin is threatening the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Putin is threatening world peace.
So the question is, should Obama give Ukraine weapons. “ Yes, Russia already has the power to take over Ukraine so I think that Obama should be giving Ukraine weapons they need to fight back and take back their territory.” So far Obama has just given non military aid. As Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko told Congress recently with regard to U.S. non-military aid, Blankets and night-vision goggles are important, but one cannot win a war with blankets
If Putin stays in control he could take over Ukraine and maybe even other countries. If this happens it wouldn't be good. We have to stop them now, before it gets worse. Putin isn't crazy he is just power thirsty, and when your power thirsty you can make bad decisions. If Putin stays what will happen? Could this be the next World War?
For related articles and sources go to:
Wikipedia __http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Russian_military_intervention_in_Ukraine__
Vox __http://www.vox.com/cards/ukraine-everything-you-need-to-know/what-is-the-ukraine-crisis__
Newsela __https://newsela.com/articles/ukraineaid-procon/id/5421/__
The Moscow Times http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/u-s-to-give-ukraine-53-million-in-aid-to-battle-russian-incursion/507377.html